Cauvery water row: Supreme Court to hear Tamil Nadu's petition today

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Last Updated: Mon, Dec 03, 2012 05:30 hrs

The Supreme Court will today hear the Tamil Nadu government's petition for immediate release of the water of River Cauvery from Karnataka.

After a suggestion by the apex court to sort out the issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar met on November 29 at Bengalaru. But the less-than-an-hour meeting appeared to widen the wedge between the two states, taking the case back to the Supreme Court.

After the meeting Jayalalithaa had said the "Karnataka Government has refused to release any more water".

"We had requested Karnataka to release at least 32 TMC feet water. Karnataka Government has flatly refused to release any more water. We will inform Supreme Court about the meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister," she added.

Shettar said after the meeting that Karnataka couldn't meet the demands of Tamil Nadu.

"Karnataka needs water for its farmers", cannot give it away to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has to consider its requirements before sharing it with Tamil Nadu," he added.

This was for the second time in 15 years that chief ministers of the two states met to have bilateral talks on the water row. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and former Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel had met earlier in 1997 in Chennai to discuss the issue.

During the last hearing on November 26, the apex court had asked the chief ministers of the two states to meet and arrive at an amicable solution to the "sensitive" Cauvery water dispute.

"Why the two Chief Ministers can't sit together? Give it a try, it is not impossible. We want you to meet in a congenial manner and discuss the issue in the larger interest of farmers from both states," said an apex court bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B Lokur earlier.

The apex court said that it is not possible for the Cauvery River Authority headed by the Prime Minister to meet, so the state governments should meet to find a solution.

The Cauvery River Authority comprises all the basin states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, besides the union territory of Puducherry. (ANI)